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Retained placenta resulting in very low supply?

DS will be 3 weeks on Saturday and my milk still hasn't really come in yet. 2 hours after delivery, I was sent in for a d&c after hemorrhaging. Apparently my OB didn't get all of the pieces out and I passed a silver dollar sized chunk of placenta on Sunday night. Has anyone had a similar issue and gotten their milk in? Currently I'm supplementing using an at the breast with formula since I've never produced much more than a few mls at a time, nursing DS every 2-3 hours and on demand, pumping 4-5 times a day, taking Domperidone, goat's rue, fenugreek, and lactation blend on the advice of my LC, I just wanted to see if anyone had a success story to share. I'm trying not to give up but i have no idea how long I should even stay optimistic and keep hoping the milk will come. TIA!

Re: Retained placenta resulting in very low supply?

Welcome to the forum!

Retained placenta can cause delayed/reduced milk production. As long as a piece of placenta remains inside, the mom's body acts like it's still pregnant, and lactogenesis II (the onset of milk production which follows the abrupt postpartum decrease in progesterone levels) doesn't take place or doesn't reach full expression. Since you just passed a sizable chunk of placenta a few days ago, I think it's very reasonable to think that the above is/was a problem for you. I would immediately contact your OB (or perhaps another doctor, one who may see the situation with fresh eyes?) and discuss the situation. If the D&C didn't get the whole placenta, there's still a chance that there's something more lurking inside and causing you problems.

ETA: maybe ask the doc if he/she can check your progesterone levels? If they're still pregnancy high, that might indicate that you still have some leftover placenta.